Frequently Asked Questions

Choose PlantPro, a dairy-free (vegan) protein that is a blend of pea and rice proteins. It’s been formulated to be naturally complete so contains all nine essential amino acids, including the BCAAs needed for muscle repair and growth.

Lactose intolerance means that you are have limited ability or are unable to properly digest the natural milk sugar lactose. If you are after a protein powder, Horleys recommends ICE WPI. This product contains trace amounts of lactose and will not cause difficulties for the majority of those who suffer lactose intolerance. Depending on the severity of your allergy or intolerance, there may be other Horleys products you can use. Check the label or contact us for more assistance.

Not all Horleys supplements are suitable. Those containing high concentrations of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and stimulants such as guarana and caffeine are not recommended. Horleys advise consultation with a health care professional before any supplements are used (other than those specifically designed for pregnancy or breastfeeding).

Many women do choose to continue using a protein supplement or protein bars whilst pregnant and/or breast feeding to supplement their energy and protein intake, and find the products extremely helpful. We recommend 100%Whey, Protein Hit (including Low Carb), Protein 33, and the Carb Less bar range.

Depending on your goal the positive effects of using Horleys supplements can become apparent in as little as two weeks. There are no typical results, however, and our supplements will work in many different ways depending on the individual and their goals. The results you achieve and the time it takes will ultimately rest with you and how you manage your lifestyle, eating and exercise/training plans.

See our Goals pages for some tips and appropriate products to help you maximise your results.

Normal dietary protein sources include meats like beef and chicken, fish, eggs, legumes, and dairy. However, while these sources are important in a healthy balanced diet, most of them come with unwanted extras like saturated fat and sugar. A protein supplement provides a quick and easy way to boost your protein intake, providing more of what you need and less of what you don’t. They are also more easily and quickly absorbed, which is ideal when you need to optimise the recovery window for muscle recovery. In addition, per-serve a protein powder can be a very cost-effective way to boost your intake.

Why would you? In a highly purified protein supplement with negligible (i.e. virtually ZERO) carbs in it, unless you’re going to blend up your low carb shake with a potato, a starch blocker would be completely useless. In addition, phaseolamin based blockers contain anti-nutritional factors that may negatively affect the protein efficiency ratio. Worse, they could adversely impact your nitrogen balance – we certainly don’t recommend mixing starch or carb blockers with your protein supplements. In fact, if you’re training seriously, you don’t need starch blockers at all: they are for people with no discipline who can’t stick to a clean diet, and that’s NOT you.

Leucine (a branched chain amino acid) has been identified as one of the key amino acids for muscle growth, as it occurs at higher levels in muscle tissue than the other two BCAAs isoleucine and valine. BCAA Max has been formulated based on research indicating a blend of the BCAAs at a ratio of 4:1:1 respectively (4 leucine: 1 isoleucine: 1 valine) is the optimum ratio for muscle recovery, repair and growth.

Horleys use Pure Cation Exchange Whey Protein Isolate in ICE WPI. The cation exchange process preferentially isolates the key compounds in whey that have the highest levels of BCAAs. Research has determined BCAAs to be the key amino acids involved in the synthesis of muscle protein and the provision of energy during exercise. Horleys believe that the high BCAA content of cation exchange WPI, as used in Horleys Elite ICE WPI, is preferential for athletes and body builders looking to maximise their muscle mass gains.

Horleys use Crossflow Microfiltered Whey Protein Isolate in Ripped and 100% Whey Plus. Processing of this type of whey isolate retains higher levels of unique bioactive whey fractions that have roles in improving immune function and gastrointestinal health. They have also been shown to exhibit anti-viral and anti-microbial activity as well as boosting cardiovascular health and bone mineral density.

Slim Shake is a meal replacement protein shake; it's good if you want to slim down by replacing a meal with a shake (or using as a snack). It has just over 40% protein and no added sugar. Sculpt is much higher in protein (72-75%) as it's a shaping protein. That means it's got all the stuff you need to replenish and repair your muscles when you're working out (as well as keeping you fuller for longer so great as a snack between meals). So if you're doing a bit of exercise, including some weights, then Sculpt is a better option.

For people with naturally lean body types, weight gain can be very difficult. Weight gain means your calorie intake needs to over-compensate for the energy you use. This is more easily achieved by eating six to seven smaller meals per day. This will ensure that your system is constantly drip fed nutrients for maximum efficiency while preventing the fullness and discomfort associated with large meals.

Your diet - that is, what you normally eat, even before you think about using any form of supplement - is critical. You must get enough calories by eating a wide variety regular foods (lots of wholegrain cereals/rice/pasta and breads, fruit, vegetables, lean red and white meats, fish, nuts and seeds, plenty of low fat dairy) - there are no shortcuts, and a protein powder won't help unless your baseline nutrition plan is adequate. You have to eat a really good breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, with healthy snacks in between.

Once your base diet is sorted, a nutrient-dense supplement such as Horleys LeanGain, Huge, or Elite Mass will help boost the energy density of your diet. These are formulas that can help provide extra carbohydrates, protein and nutrients in a convenient format. It is important that you add this on top of your existing diet and not eat less of other foods. Use it after you done some exercise and as a between meal snack. It may also be helpful to have a serving approximately one hour before you go to bed.

The best time to take sports supplements is entirely dependent on the nature of the supplement and the goal you are trying to achieve. If the supplement combines more than two different active ingredients then the timing is dependent on which of the ingredients are critical to success.

See the 'Optimal Use' tab on each specific product page for more detail, or check out the Goals page specific to what you want to achieve.

As a starting example, Elite Ripped contains premium quality protein for muscle repair and recovery, Carnitine for fat mobilisation, Guarana for the stimulation of the central nervous system and Super Citrimax as an appetite suppressant.

If an athlete was taking Elite Ripped for high protein content then it is best-consumed post workout. If the intended use is fat mobilisation then Elite Ripped is best taken an hour prior to a workout. As a small meal replacement Elite Ripped should be consumed at morning tea to satisfy appetite and encourage the use of fat as energy.

Horleys do not recommend protein intakes of higher than 2g/kg body weight. It's not so much that intakes above this are dangerous for normal individuals, but rather your body is unable to effectively utilise more than this so you're wasting your time and money.

Normal dietary protein sources include meats like beef and chicken, fish, eggs, legumes, and dairy. However, while these sources are important in a healthy balanced diet, most of them come with unwanted extras like saturated fat and sugar. Sculpt provides an easy way to boost your protein intake, providing more of what you need and less of what you don’t. You can tailor Sculpt to suit your own personal requirements – a quick lunch with a piece of fruit, the right nutrition for after exercise or a workout, a filling mid afternoon snack, a sustaining breakfast or something that will stave of hunger and cravings when you’re racing out the door.

Whilst the Sculpt range of products do not contain any ingredients harmful to either mother or baby, Horleys always suggest caution. Due to the special and intricate role a mother's nutrition plays for her baby's health, we advise that any supplements containing appetite suppressants or stimulants should only be consumed whilst pregnant or breast feeding under dietetic supervision.

Many women do choose to continue using Sculpt whilst pregnant and/or breast feeding as a supplement for their energy and protein intake, and find the products extremely helpful.

Whilst formulated with a woman's needs in mind, Sculpt won’t cause your average guy any harm at all! However, there are other supplements in the Horleys range he might like to consider, such as Elite Ripped or 100% Whey Plus.

We would not recommend that you give Sculpt products to children under the age of 14 years on a regular basis as the nutritional profile is not appropriate for them. If your children want to ‘try what you’re having', the occasional sip of a protein shake will not hurt in the slightest. Older teens can use the products provided a nutrition professional is able to give guidance on a sensible eating plan incorporating Sculpt.

Sculpt is not about dramatic, rapid changes in your body shape, but instead is a nutritional tool that you can use to help you manage your eating plan. If you are interested in fat loss, the positive effects of using Sculpt can become apparent quickly, in as little as two weeks. There are no typical results, however, and Sculpt can work in many different ways depending on the individual woman. The results you achieve and the time it takes will ultimately rest with you and how you manage your lifestyle, eating and exercise plans.

You’ll feel more alert as all pre-workouts contain stimulants, however it is a myth that the more ‘wired’ or out of it you feel the better the pre-workout is. There’s a point where too much stimulant will mean you cannot work out to your peak. Havoc, Bioburn and Ripped Black will help you reach your peak workout power but won’t leave you feeling out of it. This doesn’t mean they're not working.

This comes down to your body type/size/weight, and your activity level - along with your intended goal that you're aiming for.

For sedentary adults (those that do little or no exercise) the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) of 0.8g of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight is sufficient to maintain muscle mass.

Protein needs increase depending on the duration and intensity of exercise. For example an endurance athlete's requirements may range from 1.2g to 1.4g per kg of body weight. Very active people, strength athletes and those doing resistance training need approximately 1.7-1.8g of protein per kg of body weight. An 80kg male would require 136 grams (80 x 1.7 = 136) of protein daily to maintain existing muscle and achieve further muscle growth.

Horleys do not recommend protein intakes of higher than 2g/kg body weight. It's not so much that intakes above this are dangerous for normal individuals, but rather your body is unable to effectively utilise more than this so you're wasting your time and money.

Don't worry if your tub of Havoc or CreatineXtreme has gone solid (in one lump in the foil bag) or a bit clumpy. It's perfectly normal and is due to the high GPLC content - one of the key functional ingredients that gives you results. Even though we use an anti-caking agent, the high GPLC content means the product is still prone to clumping.

However, the powder is only superficially hard - definitely not old, stale or a dud bag, the efficacy of the product is not compromised by this phenomenon, and it will still fully dissolve in water.

Get it back a free-flow state ready for scooping by manipulating it with your hands while it's still inside the bag - a couple of sharp thumps on a sturdy counter top are a good place to start.

The powder is sensitive to moisture migration so we pack it into a foil bag to help protect it from environmental moisture and also make it easier for you to manipulate. We suggest keeping it stored in the bag (and store the bag inside the tub) to make it easier to handle whilst you're using it, as it will continue to clump together naturally. Make sure you don't get the scoop wet and put it back in the tub!

Nutrition for weight loss is really about three things: appetite management, calorie control and healthy snacking. Sculpt has a high protein formula to give you more power to manage appetite and cravings, it’s portion controlled and offers you convenient and versatile options for quick meals and smart snacks. We didn’t create Sculpt as a ‘diet shake’ – our background in nutrition and own philosophy towards weight loss makes us feel that’s a temporary approach and not one that works with a real lifestyle long term. Sculpt is designed to fit into your eating plan, to give you options for eating small, frequent meals that have the power to boost your metabolism.

A thermogenic product is used to increase the heat in the body and in turn affect the body's metabolism and ability to burn fat. Caffeine is the most well known thermogenic. A fat metaboliser is any compound that increases the body's ability to use fat as a fuel source; it may or may not be a stimulant. L-carnitine is a common, non-stimulant fat metaboliser.

It's a common misconception that women shouldn’t consume protein powder, because they’ll get big and bulky. An increased protein intake (via protein shakes or otherwise) will do wonders for creating a lean, toned and fit figure in conjunction with your training, and you needn't fear you will get big. To put it simply, it's not possible for women to bulk up with huge muscles, even by lifting heavy weights, without artificial (and illegal) help, as they don't have the testosterone levels that men do. An increased protein intake alongside a weight lifting/resistence program will help you build a lean, toned physique. With more muscle, you'll burn more calories at rest, and more protein in your diet will assist with managing your appetite too.